Jungle Justice: How 25-year-old Medical Student Was Murdered

As the grieving family of late Abdullahi Abbati, a 25-year-old student of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital allegedly killed by yet to be apprehended persons, continue to despair over the development in Sokoto, ANKELI EMMANUEL (Sokoto) reports on the shattered record of peace in the state and the long way to justice for the family.

Life, they said has gradually become brutish in Nigeria lately. Especially, as a day hardly passes away without one hearing the sad story of human lives being innocently killed. Though, much as the killings are enough to once again ask about where the society has thrown its common humanity, developing scenarios would again leave us wondering if perpetrators of these acts are any better than cannibals. While killings across Nigeria continue to stir public discuss, the new trend of jungle justice has opened another spectre of worry. This jungle justice recently raised its ugly head in Sokoto, hitherto known to be the most peaceful state in Nigeria, where Abdullahi Abbati, a 25-year-old student of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, was allegedly killed by yet to be apprehended persons. The incident, which occurred on Sunday 26th August, 2018 left Abdullahi’s parents, family members as well as relatives devastated. Abdullahi, who was studying Health Information and Management was expected to commence his second semester exams on the 27th of August before he was found dead. While expressing shock over the incident, Abdullahi’s maternal uncle, Alhaji Abdul Rashid Yusuf, said he couldn’t comprehend why Nigerian citizens are no longer entitled to life as enshrined in the UN Charter to which Nigeria is a signatory.

He decried that; no individual under whatever guise has the right to take the life of another individual through barbaric, uncivilised and unconventional means. Yusuf, in a letter of complaint he personally signed and copied relevant security agencies, pointed accusing fingers on the vigilante group as principal suspects. His letter titled, “ Complain On Extrajudicial Killing Of Abdullahi Abbati At Gwiwa Low Cost, Sokoto” alleged that, his nephew’s lifeless body was found lying stone dead by the road side beside the house of one certain Yunusa, also known as Oho dai at about 7am on he 26th August, 2018. “On penultimate Sunday 26th day of August 2018, at about 7am, the corpse of Abdullahi Abbati was found lying stone dead by the road side beside the house of a certain Yunusa aka “Oho Dai” reported to be a vigilante leader in the area. “The police were contacted and his body was deposited at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto from where his body was taken to Tudun Wada cemetery for burial. “The information I was able to collect in my capacity being his maternal uncle as to the genesis, is that he is said to have entered the house of a certain Kasimu Sifawa, who was said to have used a pestle to beat him on the head, and later called on the attention of “Oho dai” and others yet unknown, who descended on him with machetes and hacked him gruesomely to death leaving his body on the road side.

“It is on record that three months ago, “Oho dai” was said to have beaten the late Abdullahi Abbati to stupor tying his hands and legs and attempted using tyre to burn him alive but for the quick intervention of the police that saved the situation.” In his deepest shock while narrating the psychological trauma of Abdullahi’s unnatural death in the hands of those that should ideally help in promoting peace, Yusuf warned that if nothing is done to forestall such occurrence, then it’s a synopsis to future anarchy. In the letter, which he copied Sokoto State Commssioner of Police, the director, Department of Security Service (DSS), the state director, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the attorney general and commissioner of Justice and the DPO, Gwiwa Police Station, Yusuf appealed that the culprits be brought to book and made to face the full wrath of the law so as to serve as deterrent to others.

“My humble prayer is that a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abdullahi Abbati, is entitled to exercise and enjoy fully, his right to life as enshrined in the UN charter to which Nigeria is a signatory: and no individual has the right to take the life of another individual through barbaric, uncivilised and unconventional means. “This can only occur after conviction by a certified court of law and a verdict of death penalty passed on an individual. It would be unfair and gross act of injustice, if nothing is done to bring the culprits to book; more people would fall victim to the same jungle justice, which is a sign of anarchy and flagrant disregard to the constituted authority which is unacceptable.” When contacted on the development, Sokoto Police commissioner, CP Murtala Mani, said investigation into the alleged murder of Abdullahi Abbati has commenced. Speaking through the command’s public relations officer (PRO), DSP Cordelia Nwawe, the police assured that they would leave no stone unturned in their resolve to ensure that the state continues to retain its glory as the most peaceful in Nigeria. Mani further assured they would never relent in their quest to safeguarding the lives and property of every human being in the state. Much as the CP’s assurance of ensuring that the command continue to do everything within its powers to ensure perpetrators are brought to book and that the state continues to remain peaceful, the question begging to be answered by the bereaved family of Abdullahi Abbati is when would this justice be meted out on those that killed their child? More so that, the once inglorious lexicon that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ is still very much in existence.